Chapter 6 In the beginning of this section, a man writes to Outisde magazine to purchase a copy of the magazine that featured the article of Alex's death. When John Krakeur interviews Ron, Ron recalls that "he saw Alex hitch hiking and decided to give him a ride." He told Chris how he was devastated by the death of his family and turned to drinking whiskey. To cope with the loss he adopts children from Okinawa and Shanghai. Ron was a skilled at working with leather and he teaches Alex the tricks of the trade. His first project was to make a leather tool belt. On the tool belt Alex encrypts his name ALEX, his initials C.J.M, a skull and crossbones, a two lane blacktop, a no U turn sign, a thunderstorm, a hitchhikers thumb, a fish, and plenty more of other symbols that symbolize his trip. One week after Alex turned 24 Ron Franz turned 81 so Alex calls him collect to wish him a happy birthday. On the way to San Francisco Ron proposes Alex that question of if he can adopt Alex. Alex quickly turns the question to a different topic. The last letter Ron received from Alex was a message to Ron that he should drop all his belongings and become a vaga bond and experience what the world has to offer. When Ron finds out from a few guys that Alex has died he reverts back to drinking whiskey and becomes very sick because of it. Chapter 7 In Chapter 7 Alex returns to Carthage to work on the grain elevator. Wayne feels that Alex is worthy enough to meet his long term friend and off and on girlfriend Gail Borah. Gail Borah would cook him dinner every night and had fond memories of Alex. When asked about Alex’s sexual status she could only tell that he took relationships very seriously and wasn’t out looking for girls just to get laid. She also said he could’ve been gay but she knew of no relations with guys. At the Cabaret, Gail and Wayne find out that Alex is musically inclined. Chapter 8 Jon Krakeur receives many letters criticizing Alex for how stupid and foolish he was to embark on this journey. Jon also goes into story mode and tells stories about people with common ideals as Alex. While in Cordova, Alaska Jon meets a man known as the mayor of hippie cove. He sees him carry a log into the foods and questions him what he is doing. He finds out that he is trying to live off the land and use the different techniques of the different eras. We learn about a man named John Waterman and his attempts to climb Mt. Hunter solo. He is an experienced climber having scaled Mt. Denali and Mt. McKinney. He knows he won’t return when he writes a letter to his friend. We also learn about Carl McCunn who was a photographer who made two blunders just like Alex that cost him his life. Chapter 9 We learn about man named Everett Ruess who has most like Alex. He carves his name in the Grand Canyon next to some Anasazi pictographs. This is similar to Alex because he carved his name into the bus. Everett graduate from Harvard Divinity School which a prestigious school just like Emory. His name was always moving. He kept in contact by writing many letters from all the places he was but it stopped when he just disappears. He frequently changes his name. His death is an uncertain one if he has died. The theories are he was shot by a group of herders, he fell off a cliff, or he drowned in a nearby river.
In the beginning of this section, a man writes to Outisde magazine to purchase a copy of the magazine that featured the article of Alex's death. When John Krakeur interviews Ron, Ron recalls that "he saw Alex hitch hiking and decided to give him a ride." He told Chris how he was devastated by the death of his family and turned to drinking whiskey. To cope with the loss he adopts children from Okinawa and Shanghai. Ron was a skilled at working with leather and he teaches Alex the tricks of the trade. His first project was to make a leather tool belt. On the tool belt Alex encrypts his name ALEX, his initials C.J.M, a skull and crossbones, a two lane blacktop, a no U turn sign, a thunderstorm, a hitchhikers thumb, a fish, and plenty more of other symbols that symbolize his trip. One week after Alex turned 24 Ron Franz turned 81 so Alex calls him collect to wish him a happy birthday. On the way to San Francisco Ron proposes Alex that question of if he can adopt Alex. Alex quickly turns the question to a different topic. The last letter Ron received from Alex was a message to Ron that he should drop all his belongings and become a vaga bond and experience what the world has to offer. When Ron finds out from a few guys that Alex has died he reverts back to drinking whiskey and becomes very sick because of it.
Chapter 7
In Chapter 7 Alex returns to Carthage to work on the grain elevator. Wayne feels that Alex is worthy enough to meet his long term friend and off and on girlfriend Gail Borah. Gail Borah would cook him dinner every night and had fond memories of Alex. When asked about Alex’s sexual status she could only tell that he took relationships very seriously and wasn’t out looking for girls just to get laid. She also said he could’ve been gay but she knew of no relations with guys. At the Cabaret, Gail and Wayne find out that Alex is musically inclined.
Chapter 8
Jon Krakeur receives many letters criticizing Alex for how stupid and foolish he was to embark on this journey. Jon also goes into story mode and tells stories about people with common ideals as Alex. While in Cordova, Alaska Jon meets a man known as the mayor of hippie cove. He sees him carry a log into the foods and questions him what he is doing. He finds out that he is trying to live off the land and use the different techniques of the different eras. We learn about a man named John Waterman and his attempts to climb Mt. Hunter solo. He is an experienced climber having scaled Mt. Denali and Mt. McKinney. He knows he won’t return when he writes a letter to his friend. We also learn about Carl McCunn who was a photographer who made two blunders just like Alex that cost him his life.
Chapter 9
We learn about man named Everett Ruess who has most like Alex. He carves his name in the Grand Canyon next to some Anasazi pictographs. This is similar to Alex because he carved his name into the bus. Everett graduate from Harvard Divinity School which a prestigious school just like Emory. His name was always moving. He kept in contact by writing many letters from all the places he was but it stopped when he just disappears. He frequently changes his name. His death is an uncertain one if he has died. The theories are he was shot by a group of herders, he fell off a cliff, or he drowned in a nearby river.